[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 93 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICAN SCHOLARS OF CHINESE ANCESTRY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 25, 2001

  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support for H. 
Res. 160, which calls upon the Government of the People's Republic of 
China to immediately and unconditionally release Li Shaomin and all 
other American scholars of Chinese ancestry being held in detention. I 
join in asking President Bush to make the release of these scholars, 
who include U.S. citizens and permanent residents, a top priority in 
our dealings with China.
  These Chinese American scholars have been accused of spying but no 
evidence has been produced by the Chinese government. The detainees 
have even been denied the basic right of meeting with their families 
and lawyers. Dr. Li Shaomin, Dr. Gao Zhan, Wu Jianmin, Tan Guangguang, 
and Teng Chunyan have been unjustly imprisoned and denied due process. 
We must insist on their immediate release.
  The harassment and persecution of intellectuals is yet another 
attempt by the Chinese government to stifle any freedom of expression 
among its people. China's leaders should be ashamed of its government's 
abysmal record of human rights abuses but instead remain indifferent to 
the condemnation of the world community. The Chinese government 
regularly violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
Rights, which it signed in October 1998.
  We must make sure that the Chinese government understands that it 
will pay a price for flouting international norms of behavior. This is 
why I support rescinding Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China 
and going back to an annual review. I would hope, moreover, that 
China's human rights record will be a factor in the International 
Olympic Committee's choice of which country will host the 2008 
Olympics.
  I urge all my colleagues to send a strong message to the Chinese 
government by unanimously passing this important resolution.

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